LeBron James Shows Ultimate Love for New Mexico Soccer Star

Madison Hammond of Angel City FC has been fighting racism and social inequalities in women's soccer, and Lakers star LeBron James has shown his support for her efforts.

"Growing up, I didn't really understand the amount of sacrifice my mom had to make as a single parent, and also what I had to do just to have the same experience as everyone else," she said, adding that she now sees how much of it was influenced by racial and social differences, something she did not know back then.

"I can count on two hands how many teammates of color I had growing up. But I never felt out of place," she added.

When Hammond was 15 years old, an opposition player yelled, "Get the f- off me, you Negro!" after a rough game, marking her first-time experiencing racism in the game, AndScape noted.

Hammond remembers the moment well, knowing that she could have lost interest in the sport and her future career if she had not been confident.

After reading Madison Hammond's story, LeBron James was amazed and took to Twitter to show his love and support for the athlete.

"I love seeing athletes representing like this. We all got you [Madison Hammond]," LeBron wrote along with the hashtage #Striveforgreatness"

Madison Hammond Makes History

When Madison Hammond signed with the Seattle OL Reign in 2020, she made history as the league's first Indigenous player. The defender made headlines in her rookie year because of her status as the first, but most of the coverage centered on the fact that the 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 epidemic, according to InStyle.

Hammond was traded to the celebrity-owned Los Angeles team Angel City FC in 2022, but that did not stop her from embracing her identity and confronting her legacy through the team's mission of inclusion and community outreach.

Even while she notes that her idols may not share her Indigenous background (San Felipe Pueblo, Navajo, and Black), Hammond is positioning herself to influence athletes everywhere. She talks about one of the best soccer players of all time, as many other players do.

"I've been obsessed with Lionel Messi since the beginning of time," she explains, adding that she looked up to a lot of people in her life, but they were international male athletes. "I was looking up to [female] players like Lauren Holiday and Shannon Boxx, but now you have so many players that play internationally because of how interwoven and how much more globalized the sport has become," she said.

LeBron James Begins On-Court Activities, Might Return for Few Regular Seasons Games

LeBron James was reevaluated on Thursday, Lakers Nation reported.

The Los Angeles Lakers said he had been given the green light to resume on-court activity and step-by-step development of basketball movements. The team has not given a timetable for his recovery but will offer updates as necessary.

It is encouraging for the Lakers because James's tendon ailment in his right foot has kept him out of action for the past 12 games. The Lakers have done well to remain competitive without their superstar, going 7-5 during that time, but LeBron's return will be met with euphoria once he is well enough to play again.

The Lakers have not provided an official timetable for LeBron James' comeback, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the team is optimistic that James will be able to play in at least some regular season games.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Game Changers, presented by Ally | Episode 2 - Historically: Madison Hammond, Angel City FC - From National Women's Soccer League